The present invention relates generally to the production of cast iron, steel, or plastic tubing and pipe. More particularly the present invention relates to the cleaning of the interior of such pipe to remove burrs, blisters and the like. In even greater particularity the present invention is a reversible, double-acting shoe mounted for non-rotating axial reaming within a rotating tube.
Tile pipe industry produces thousands of linear feet of steel, cast iron, and plastic pipe each day. A substantial quantity of this pipe is coated internally as a part of the production process. Whether the pipe is coated or uncoated, most metallic pipe must be cleaned internally at the spigot end to remove burrs and other imperfections. A number of systems have been used to attempt to clean the interior of the piping. Typically, a lance will be mounted for axial movement into and out of the pipe and will carry grinding rocks or wire brushes or a combination of rocks and brushes. Normally, the grinding members, regardless of the type, are rotated on or with the lance such that they are urged against the interior of the pipe, which is also rotating to smooth or finish the inside of the pipe. Accordingly, motors and belts to drive the rotating grinders must be maintained and replaced to keep the equipment running. Special lances with special heads must be produced to support and rotate the reamer rocks or brushes, and special bearings for the lances must be provided. All of these components are somewhat sacrificial in that the rocks and brushes are soon worn away, and the motors, belts, lances, and bearings all must be maintained and replaced. The cost of cleaning pipe is explained in my co-pending, application Ser. No. 09/121,928 and is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention represents an improvement over the invention disclosed therein and provides a mechanism to clean small and large diameter pipe.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reamer mechanism that yields superior cleaning of the interior of a pipe or tube.
It is another object of the invention to provide a reamer mechanism that yields superior performance at a lower cost.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a reamer mechanism that reduces the noise level of operation of such equipment.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a reamer mechanism that reduces the time between maintenance events.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a reamer mechanism which can clean the bell or spigot portion of a tube as well as the interior of the pipe.
These and other objects and advantages of my invention are accomplished by the novel and unique construction and utilization of my reamer head or shoe. My shoe is designed to be a passive grinder that is advanced within the bore of a pipe being rotated in a typical pipe operation. The apparatus that is currently used to deliver reamer rocks on the end of a rotating lance can be modified to achieve my purposes at considerable cost savings. Specifically, my apparatus utilizes a lance for advancing the shoe within the pipe without rotation. The shoe is affixed near the end of the lance in a selected attitude that determines the degree of grinding to be accomplished. A pair of shoe walls extending substantially paraxially with the rotating tube form a dual reaming head which engages the pipe interior across a cord over the bottom of the pipe. A pair of internal walls connect the shoe walls and prevent deflection.